Those who know both say Frazier's personality and police background will lead him to take a more hard-line approach to managing the city and he will demand more accountability. But his doggedness and strict approach have won him only friends in the past.

"He held us accountable, but you could tell he treated us with dignity, with respect," said Phoenix Police Chief Jeri Williams, who worked for Frazier in the 1990s and 2000s. "He has this infectious way of making you want to come in and do a good job."

Frazier comes during council mix-up

Frazier enters his role as the Surprise City Council undergoes a transition.

This means there will soon be a new mayor, a council vacancy, and one other outgoing councilman, since Chris Judd defeated Councilman Todd Tande in the primary election in August.

After Wolcott announced her resignation, Frazier told The Arizona Republic that he doesn't think this puts the city in an unstable position.

"I think we're on a good path," he said. "We'll keep rolling on this journey."

Frazier said his background has prepared him for anything.

"Not much intimidates me," he said.

Councilman Skip Hall said Frazier is well-regarded by city employees, which will make for an easy transition.

Police officer gets promotion

Frazier made $4.79 an hour during his first year on the Phoenix Police Department in 1975.

His annual city manager salary will be $230,000, under the contract approved by the council.

Mike Frazier during his time on the Phoenix Police Department(Photo: Courtesy of Mike Frazier)

He said he got into policing because he felt like he could help people.

He didn't stay an officer for long.

After four years, he took a test and scored high enough to receive a promotion. A series of promotions during the next three decades eventually led him to become the department's executive chief, which put him second in command.

"The opportunity to have a greater impact kept me advancing," he said.

When he worked in Phoenix, he said, he was always the last one to leave the building at night. He believes hard work yields good results.

During his time running the investigative unit, he said, he created a program that targeted a high-crime area.

"We crushed crime in that area," he said.

Andy Anderson, a retired assistant police chief in Phoenix who worked alongside Frazier, said he isn't surprised by Frazier's appointment as city manager. He's always been driven and passionate about his work, Anderson said.

"It's the best thing that could happen to Surprise," Anderson said. "Not only for the employees, but for the city itself."

Police Chief Frazier

In 2007, Frazier retired from the Phoenix department and was appointed as police chief in El Mirage.

When he got there, he said, the department was in shambles. The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office had been running the department, and the city was transitioning back to having its own leadership.

"We built a professional police department," he said. "It wasn't there when I got there. We put policies in place, we created beats, we started having community events. We really bridged the gap with the community."

When the police chief spot in Surprise came open in 2011, Frazier said he couldn't pass up the opportunity.

The biggest issue he found in Surprise, he said, was a "leadership void." He rearranged leadership and tried to improve the culture.

Surprise's current Police Chief Terry Young worked alongside Frazier at the time. Young said Frazier has been a mentor to him.

"He genuinely cares and tries to do everything he can to take care of the people who work for and around him," Young said.

'Seeing the whole view'

Wingenroth, Surprise's departing city manager, has known Frazier since the 1980s, when Wingenroth worked in Phoenix's finance department.

He plucked Frazier for the assistant city manager role as soon as he could, he said.

"He is really strong in terms of seeing the whole view," Wingenroth said. "I think a lot of that has come from years of working with people as a police officer. He always sees not just both sides of the issue but most sides of the issue."

Since starting as city manager, Wingenroth said, Frazier has led five departments and taken on special projects such as the overseeing the rollout of the city's latest bond election and project.

As city manager, Frazier said, he will work on accountability. He said he has always thought about things methodologically.

"I have always believed you could put all the programs into place, but if you aren't monitoring it, you haven't accomplished anything," he said. "Everybody will tell you they are busy, but you have to wonder, 'Are you busy doing the right things?'"

He said he thinks the city is generally headed in the right direction. He called Surprise a "diamond in the desert."

Young said, if history proves true, Frazier will be extremely dedicated to the city in his new role.

"I'm sure the man doesn't sleep," Young said. "It could be midnight, 1 o'clock in the morning, and I'll call and he'll answer it on the first ring, like he's waiting for me to call. ... He's on 24-7."